The Butterfly Effect
by Simmering-Tofu
Summary: Ideally, history is how we want to remember our past. However, in reality; history is the choices we make. A slight change could alter the whole outcome of your future. Neji decides to go back in time for one thing, to protect Tenten's smile. NejTen
1. Chapter 1

**After reading the book 'The Buttefly Effect' by James Swallow, I was blown away; therefore like the non-creative person that I am, i decided to recreate it. Enjoy.**

**In my story, Team Gai is NOT one year older than everyone else. And to Sasuke lovers. He's evil in this story...**

**Disclaimer: I don't own The Butterfly Effect or your precious Naruto.

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_Is it really better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all?_

_

* * *

_

**Prologue-**

I grabbed a pen nearby, cleared a space on the messy desk and began writing on the back of an important looking document.

_If anyone finds this; then it didn't work out like how I wished it to be._

I chuckled as I realised that I was writing my own epitaph.

Hastily, I opened the patient information cabinet; thumb running through the tombstones till I came across my own name. There.

_Hyuuga Neji_

I pulled out the files, not caring when I spilled it's neighbours out. I ripped open the folder; I had to do this quickly, the security guards were already trying to ram the door open.

Lucky for me the door was made out of reinforced titanium steel.

I grabbed the scrolls I was searching for, what I had risked everything for. I jammed all my remaining chakra into it, pictures of my younger self began to move and I began to relive…

--

_Uno_

--

Hyuuga Neji; aged four and a half; entered kindergarten for the first time. There was a flurry of excitement, a new playmate! Boys shouted at him to join them on the playground while the girls looked at him in disgust, he was, after all, a carrier of the infamous boy cooties!

Only a girl that reminded him of a panda smiled at him.

"Panda," he smiled shyly, before running onto the playground to join the boys.

--

"Now I want you to draw one of your dreams," Iruka said, pacing around the room with his hands behind his back.

"I WANNA BECOME THE HOKAGE, BELIEVE IT!" cried out a random in the class.

Neji bit his lip trying to think of what to draw. Across the room, he saw Panda girl draw in a frenzy. Was his dream to become like his father? No, the head clan wouldn't like that too much. Finally with much deliberation he began to draw….

--

"Hiashi-sama, Iruka-sensei request to see you urgently; it's about Neji."

Hiashi frowned, as far as he was concerned Neji was a good student with outstanding grades. "Of course," he answered regally to the servant, "tell him that I shall see him today." The servant bowed before relaying the message.

"Neji is a very good boy, a bit on the quiet side. Though he talks to everyone; he does not seem to have any close friends. This however, does seem to bother him."

"I am not here to hear a dictation of a love letter," Hyuuga Hiashi said dryly, already standing up to leave.

"Please, Hyuuga-sama. Would you please look at this?" Iruka produced a child's drawing. "I asked the class to draw out one of their dreams. I know we are in a ninja world and children often witness these things at an early age. But has Neji seen anything quite like this? The details are quite, explicit. I feel worried about him. The worst thing;" Iruka paused worried; "the worst thing is that Neji has no recollection of drawing this picture."

--

"Neji," Hiashi said gravely that night, entering the small boy's sleeping quarters, "Why did you draw that picture?"

Neji looked away sullenly, "I'm in trouble aren't I?"

"No," his uncle tried to mollify, "I'm just curious."

Neji turned to face his uncle. His frown had no trace of levity; in fact Neji's seriousness in that frown slightly unnerved him. "I didn't draw it."

"Tomorrow," Hiashi said, as he left Neji's room, "we are going somewhere. Do not be late from Ninja Academy."

--

"Okay," the woman smiled gently at the little boy sitting on an examination chair. "I want you to relax, and think of nothing if you can."

The only response from the boy was a curt nod. The woman sighed; were all the Hyuugas so stoic? Was it in the blood or did it breed in their water?

Green chakra lit up the woman's hand. And Neji breathed in deeply.

--

"The results are completely normal," the medic said, scrutinizing the boy through the clear pane. He was currently devouring his lollipop with a serious manner. The frown still remained on his face.

"Then the causes of his lapses of memory?" Hiashi questioned.

"Unknown." the medic replied. "His brain is completely intact and is functioning properly."

"His father was like that too." Hiashi interrupted suddenly. "Once in a while, he would loose memory on what he was doing."

"Are you suggesting it has something to do with genetics?"

"Maybe."

"Neji-kun?" the medic smiled down at Neji.

"Yes?"

"Neji-kun, I want you to keep a diary. A diary writing what you learn, do and feel each day."

"Why?"

"Well," the nurse said slowly, deliberating whether to tell him the truth. She decided not to; he was only seven. "When you grow up and become powerful and successful; little kids would want to know how to be like you. They can learn by reading your diary."

"Okay," the young Hyuuga replied, his eyes unbelieving.

Neji back at home took out a black pen and a notebook he found while rummaging through his cupboard.

_Dear diary, _he wrote. _Today I got in trouble for a picture I didn't draw._

--

"Ohhhh mamammaa!! Neji's got a girlfriend, Neji's got a girl friend!" Hanabi sang out loud as she ran around the house, chased by her cousin.

"She's not my girlfriend," Neji calmly explained to the dancing Hanabi for the 1000th time.

"Neji's in loooovvveee!" she chanted, ignoring Neji.

Neji sighed. What was love anyway? The comfort of a mother's awaiting arms? The acceptance of your peers in ninja academy, or was it what Hanabi was raving about? The mushy kissy holding hands stuff? Neji shivered, he definitely did not love Tenten in THAT way. Plus, even though Tenten made friends with more boys than girls, she _still had cooties._

Ah, our oh so mature seven year old.

Hiashi's eyebrows lifted slightly when he heard of the news. "I understand. Do not prepare Neji's share of dinner then." before he dismissed Neji's nanny with a wave, he added, "make sure he doesn't stay TOO late at that girl's place. It is not proper for an unmarried Hyuuga."

--

_Today, I will go to Tenten's house for dinner, and I shall mete her father. I wonder what a reel father is like…._

As soon as Neji touched the doorbell Tenten came running down; her face flushed.

"We've been expecting you!" she chimed.

"Tenten, is your friend finally here?" a deep voice shouted from inside the house. "If it's him, then hurry up and get the spaghetti from the oven!"

Tenten grinned, "We're having spaghetti for dinner tonight," she licked her lips in anticipation. "My favourite!"

Neji awkward took off his shoes. "Hurry up!" Tenten pulled him by the arm. "I'm hungry!"

Neji considered removing her arm, but then it felt nice there. Perhaps it's a syndrome of the cooties, he thought to himself.

--

"It's ready, it's ready." Tenten chimed as she balanced three plates of spaghetti on her small arms.

"Let me help," Neji offered remembering his manners.

"Nope, I'll be. Oh-"

There was a loud crash when a plate of spaghetti fell to the ground.

Her father came in with a look for fury in his eyes.

All went black.

--

"What happened?" Neji said dreamily.

He heard a girl sniffing. Not just any girl, Tenten.

He scanned his surroundings; Tenten leaned against the wall, sniffing with a tear stricken face. All the spaghetti plates were on the floor, dirtied without hope of eating. Tenten's father's face was ashen.

"Out, get out!" Tenten's father screamed. "Quit acting like the victim and get out of my house! I don't want to see your face again!"

Neji looked down; his hands were gripping a table knife with the tip pointing to Tenten. Neji dropped the knife in surprise and left the house without another word.

That night, he went hungry without dinner.

* * *

"I'm not afraid of you." Neji hissed.

"Nor am I." Uchiha Sasuke smirked.

The two boys circled each other like sharks, waiting for the chance to attack.

"Fight, fight, fight." the children in the background cheered. The girls and a few loyal boy supporters stood on Sasuke side. The remaining boys and Tenten, the only girl, stood on Neji's side.

The two tackled each other.

Neji blacked out.

When he awoke he saw Sasuke smirking though his lip was bleeding. Iruka frowned sternly at the two boys. "In my office. Now." he half-barked.

Neji went rigid in surprise.

_Today; for the first time in my life,__ I was told off by Iruka-sensei. It was the stupid Uchiha's fault. I got all the blame, cause 'Sasuke was going through a rough time'. Though it's supposed to be a secret; everyone knows what happened. Sasuke and his big brother, Itachi are the only Uchihas left. Apparently Itachi murdered his whole clan. I expect Sasuke to feel sorry for himself. He doesn't know how lucky he is. To at least have felt what a mother's warm hug was like and to train with your father. Better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all.  
_

_I hate today. Even though today's my ninth birthday; the only one who congratulated me was Tenten._

* * *

From then on; Sasuke and Neji avoided each other like the plague and there had been no more friction until…

_Today is the worst day of my 11 years of life! I got teamed up with Uchiha Sasuke for our last assessment! If we fail this task then we won't be able to take the final genin exam! I feel like throwing up and drowning. _

_The only positive is that Tenten is on the same team._

_--  
_

Hyuuga Neji and Uchiha Sasuke eyed each other down. It was a hard task as they were identical in height.

"I will be leader." they said in unison.

Tenten backed away, though Lee stepped forward. He was a hard worker, but was always teased because he could not use chakra. He was the pacifier.

"How about this. One of you will lead in the start journey and the other will lead for the end journey."

Tenten nodded in agreement. "That sounds fair," she turned to Neji. "Don't you think?"

Neji's hands were tied.

"And if we don't comply?" Sasuke questioned.

"Then WE will be the team leaders." Lee said looking at Tenten.

"Yeah. We'll be the team leaders."

"Fine." Neji said.

"Hn."

"I'll flip a coin. Heads and Neji will get first pick, tails and Sasuke will get first pick."

The coin landed on heads.

"I want to lead first." Neji said without hesitation. If that arrogant Uchiha led the way, then they would be killed within minutes!

"Fine with me." smirked the Uchiha.

--

The contest was simple, two teams of four would race to the top of the mountain and grab a marker. If you were first, you will receive the scroll. If you were second, your task is to steal it. The team to come back to the academy with the scroll will be allowed to take the genin exam. The other team will have to take an extra year of academy before retrying.

Of course without any effort, Neji's team were in the lead, that was the difference when you had the Uchiha and the Hyuuga in your team. With Neji leading the start journey; they grabbed their marker and the flag and began heading back to the academy before the other team was half way up the mountain.

It was Sasuke's turn to lead.

When they reached the academy gates, Sasuke suddenly stopped.

"Why are we stopping?" Neji said suspicious.

"Are you questioning the leader?" Sasuke snapped. "We are going to set up a trap with explosive tags."

"But why?" Tenten said, not seeing his motives.

Sasuke gave a half-sadistic grin, "I want to see things blown up."

"No," Neji refused, Tenten and Lee were too sheltered, they had no idea what Sasuke meant.

"Don't defy the leader," Sasuke jeered mockingly.

Lee clapped Neji on his shoulder. "Listen to him. You had your turn of being leader."

Lee had thought Neji was refusing over pride. "Guys, no. You don't know how twisted his mind is…"

"Neji, enough. Now help me with these wires." Tenten said looking away.

Neji could not do anything but comply. Tenten's eyes were dead as though she was in a trance.

"If this was a real mission and Sasuke was the team leader than we would have no choice but to comply." she said softly.

Neji stepped back in surprise.

_She knows._

But how could Tenten know, she was not subjected to violence. Unless…

That was when it clicked all into place. The bruises on her arms, the sad look on her eyes…

"You guys done yet?" Lee asked. "Sasuke wants us to do a butterfly trap."

"A butterfly trap?" Tenten asked in disbelief, "we don't have enough time and explosives tags! And how are we going to take it down? Even jonins have problems navigating through it."

The butterfly trap was one of the most complex trap formations. The trap was made to look like it was a simple one line trap and when the intruders walked in and tripped over the hidden wires, the whole trap would cocoon them and detonate… Needless to say, the trap was not dismantable.

"Time," Sasuke paused for effect, "we have. I know a stock of explosive tags that we can use."

Neji's gut tightened. "Isn't that cheating?"

"No," Sasuke smirked. "The rules never stated on how and with what we could use to take the teams out."

Sasuke pointed at Tenten and Lee. "You two stay here to construct the wires while Neji and I will bring the supply."

Sasuke walked to the back of the academy. There, he pulled out a sheet on the ground that revealed a box.

"You planned to use this," Neji said accusingly.

Sasuke shrugged. "I knew we had to do a retrieval assessment soon. So I prepared for it since the end of last semester."

"You stole from the resource room."

"I wouldn't call it stealing; after all, we are using it in school time." Sasuke dusted his hands, "now shut up and help me carry the box."

Within an hour the trap was finished. Neji had to admit; the trap was grand. It was the one of the best he had ever made. A few minutes later; he could feel the chakra of their opponents.

Sasuke smiled in anticipation.

Neji crouched behind Tenten, covering her ears to deaden the imminent noise from the blast.

Neji's heart pounded in anticipation as he watched his four adversary laugh at the trap they set up.

"Idiots, did they really think we would fall into this simple one line-"

Suddenly Neji's vision went black, when he came to; the forest was in flames. Tear were pouring down Tenten's face.

"Someone get a medic nin!" Lee shouted.

But they all knew it was no use. No one could have survived that trap.

"Quick," Sasuke screamed, "destroy the evidence of us every making a butterfly trap!"

Neji remained motionless. Sasuke muttered something along the lines of 'coward' under his breath and form his hands into seals.

Tiger.

"Katon!" Sasuke heaved and blew out a hot orange ball of death which incinerated everything it came contact to. The very air seem to burn and shrivel up.

Iruka ran to them as Sasuke finished his technique. If he knew that the team had caused this; his face didn't show it.

Sasuke scrunched his eyes as though he was about to cry, "We set up a one line trap with an extra end wire for fun, but I didn't know," he choked.

Iruka enveloped him in a hug. "It's alright." he soothed.

Sasuke smirked back at his teammates.

--

The academy students looked at Neji coldly. They all thought Neji was for the blame for it. He was, after all the leader of the team. Therefore it was him who told his teammates to set up a trap. Only his teammates knew that Sasuke was the leader in the return trip. Only they knew that Sasuke had commanded them to make that trap. And only they knew that Sasuke had intended to kill his oppositions.

--

Hyuuga Hiashi was not having this; he would not let anything stain the Hyuuga name. When he asked his nephew about the incident; he had dared to keep his tight-lipped silence! Hiashi sighed, wondering where he had gone wrong. He knew that he had not paid as much attention on his nephew as he should have but then he had HIS children to take care of. The Hyuuga looked at the blue sky.

"Hizashi; what would you have done?"

--

Neji knew what uncle was about to say when he accompanied him for dinner. It was rare for the head to sit with the branch family unless something important was going to be announced.

As Hiashi cleared his throat Neji brace himself.

"Neji, you are going to move to Suna. This is to strengthen the alliance between our two villages. You are to leave dawn next morning, understand?"

"Yes, Hiashi-sama." Neji said looking away. If he moved away from Konoha; would he ever see Tenten again?

There was nothing much to pack. When he stuffed all his belongings in his duffel bag, then he remembered his diaries. Sighing, he took it out from his secret hiding space and began to write…

_I, Hyuuga Neji, am hereby exiled from Konoha and the Hyuuga clan. They have arranged to send me to Suna for 'alliance purposes' only. Obviously I am sent there because __I am 'a negative influence to society'. I wonder if I shall ever see Tenten again…_

--

Neji awoke before dawn. If only he had time to say goodbye to Tenten! Neji bit his lip till it bled. An idea began forming in his head…

With an impulse he took out his journal and ripped at page from it. Space was precious; and though he had a million words he wanted to put down he needed only three. However he was too proud to put them down.

'I'll tell her next time I see her."

Neji scribbled down his message, doubling checking and proof reading for mistakes.

_Tenten, I'm sorry I had to leave without saying goodbye. __Let's become powerful and successful so that we will be able to choose who we want on our teams. Then even the sea and the stars will be unable to keep us apart. But if you can't become powerful; I promise I'll come back to you._

_Neji._

He scrunched the piece of paper up into a ball and held it tightly in his fist until he came to Tenten's house. He lobbed it on her window sill, hoping that Tenten would be able to find it.

_Goodbye Tenten._

--

Neji was in a robotic trance when he arrived in Suna. Within the blink of an eye he was promoted to genin. Neji worked hard, and almost obsessively until he heard what he was hoping for. He was going to be in the chunin exam one year earlier.

He became a chunin.

Within a year he was promoted a jonin.

His first mission from the Kazekage was to bring back the renewal of the peace treaty from Konoha.

Neji's heart thumped so loudly; he was sure that everyone in the room had heard it.

He was to set off at dawn.

That night in his diary he wrote.

_It's been almost three years since I've left Konoha; and during this time I have succeed in my own-sided promise with Tenten. I have become powerful and successful enough to choose who ever I want in my team. Tomorrow morning, before the sun is aroused from its slumber; I'll go back._

--

Neji headed towards the familiar shape of his hometown, the gates were always open; a sign that conveyed everyone was welcome.

Neji paused for a moment to take a deep breath and walked into the town square.

--

"Neji! Is that you?" A petite figure called from the crowd, Neji looked around, and there was a young adolescence with twin panda buns.

"Gosh it's been so long, how have you been."

Neji shrugged, "Fine, I'm jonin now, and am currently on an A ranked mission."

"That's great."

"How's you and your dad?" Neji said carefully wondering if it was wise to ask.

A tick developed under her left eye. "We're fine, we don't' live together anymore cause I couldn't put up with it anymore."

"You what?" Neji exploded.

"I just decided I wanted to live alone. I had to quit ninja school and work part-time to fund my living expenses, but I'm happier now." Tenten said in a tired voice.

"Wow!" Neji said, unable to say anything more. He was surprised beyond imagination, Tenten not a ninja? What happened to her dream of being Konoha's weapon mistress?

"So why didn't you move to Mist with your mother? She'd take you right?"

Tenten shook her head remorsefully, "No, we're only family by blood now. She left when I was five and she has her own family there, and it wouldn't be right to intrude. She said I should have followed her when we were kids…. But whatever."

"I'm so sorry Tenten…."

Tenten's eyes hardened. "Why are you here?" Tenten's tone was almost soft.

"I'm here to retrieve the treaty renewal for the Kazekage."

"Oh," Tenten half-angrily said, turning away. "I thought… No nevermind."

"Tenten! Did you get my note?"

Tenten threw an accusing finger at Neji, "you never came to see me! I actually believed you when you said you would _come back for me_. Don't tell me everything is going to get better now, cause it's not! Nothing ever gets better!" Tenten pushed passed Neji.

"Tenten," Neji shouted out feebly.

Tenten walked away ignoring Neji.

--

The Hokage gave Neji the scroll. And he set off back to Suna.

Before leaving, he looked into Tenten's house once more. A large tree nearby casted a shadow over Tenten's room. Though Tenten didn't live there anymore, Neji felt a bad aura.

Without looking back; Neji sped as quickly as the wind to Suna.

Three days after he arrived back at Suna, he heard the news. He received a scroll that could replay a scene when you pushed chakra into it.

Lee's face was in front of it. Neji took a step back astounded.

"Bastard!" Lee screamed. "She was crying to me for an hour, you broke her heart once and that wasn't enough?!" Lee made a noise that Neji could not differentiate between a sob and a growl. "She killed herself dammit! She's dead! And I hope you are too!"

Neji's world stopped. It was as if there; time had stopped.

As the last of the scene played out, a piece of paper was on top of the scroll.

The paper had been scrunched and was now yellow with age.

He read the parchment.

_Tenten, I'm sorry I had to leave without saying goodbye. __Let's become powerful and successful so that we will be able to choose who we want on our teams. Then even the sea and the stars will be unable to keep us apart. But if you can't become powerful; I promise I'll come back to you._

_Neji._

It was the note Neji had given to Tenten years ago.

Neji turned over the side.

_To Neji_

_You left without saying goodbye again. And this time I think you did it on purpose. I couldn't be powerful so I thought you would come and get me. I believed that you would rescue me from this hell. I guess you didn't._

_Tenten_

Neji stood like a statue, replaying his last conversation with Tenten in his head, there were so many things he had wanted to say to her; why didn't he even say one!

And what about the vow he made before he left Konoha all those years ago? He was going to tell her something important. Twice he had failed to do so. Now it was too late…

Neji ran to Konoha without the approval of the Kazekage.

--

There was a memorial service, in the graveyard where Tenten was to be buried, most of the village was there. Most of the girls were puffy-eyed and the males were glaring down at the ground trying to fight back the tears. Neji kept his distance, watching the ceremony from afar. Only a small child noticed a man with a Suna hitai observing the memorial service.

When everyone disbanded, only then did Neji dare walk to her grave. There he took out the crinkled piece of paper. He smoothed it out and folded it for times into a square and left it on top of the tombstone.

_I'll come back for you._

**TBC**

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_**Did you like the story? Do review!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Yay, second chapter is up. I spent a lot of effort into this. A lot more than i should have. So please appreciate it and read it. **

**I'm on a premature life crisis right now, and am running out of cup noodles. There are like my brain food. As a result I'm gaining weight, I gained like 3 kgs within two weeks. Is that even possible? **

**I'm trying to grow taller. Does anyone have any tips???**

**

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Why did I make those decisions that day? Perhaps her death was a premonition warning me to stop. I took it as an encouragement. Why was I so stupid? How could I, a mere mortal; try to change and bend time with my own will? You may be thinking to yourselves; what made me do it? What drove me over the final ledge?

It's a simple answer really. I loved her.

--

Neji didn't know what to do. All he knew was that he had to breathe. Neji closed his eyes as he thought of Tenten, what could he have done to make things better?

There was only one place to relive his memories.

Slowly, very deliberately; Neji reached under his bunk and pulled out a box of belongings that he had no touched since he left Konoha.

He pulled out a notebook that was old with age and began to read…

_Today, I will go to Tenten's house for dinner, and I shall mete her father. I wonder what a reel father is like…._

Neji blinked his eyes. He was tiny! Neji marvelled at the size of his hands; when were they ever that small? Tenten was balancing spaghetti on her arms.

"Nope, I'll be. Oh."

The plate balancing on Tenten's right hand fell onto the ground with a loud crash.

Tenten's father came through the kitchen with a look of fury in his eyes.

Neji tried to speak, but he could not talk, he was gasping for breath as he tried to wiggle his toes.

Tenten's dad raised his open hand and with a swift arc, it connected on the side of Tenten's head knocking her over. The remaining plates of spaghetti toppled over and crashed onto the floor. Tenten crumpled to the floor.

Neji stared at her father horrified. He clenched his fists, when he did so; he realised he could move his body. He grabbed the knife from the dining table and walked towards him.

Tenten's father had expected the young boy to be nervous; but there seemed to be no sign of trembling. All that was on his immature young face was the look of pure fury.

"What you are doing right now, in the end you're just traumatizing your own flesh and blood. So stop it."

It was now Tenten's father's turn to be terrified, the change in the boy was evident. From the way he walked to his sophisticated syntax that surpassed the boy's age.

"I'll be watching you; even if you think I am not there. Lay a finger on her again, and I will not be afraid of doing something unorthodox." Neji waved his knife for measure, "Got that?

"Yess," Tenten's father said, still stunned.

"Good."

Tenten began to stir, she leaned against the wall support her eyes already moist with tears…

Neji's world suddenly went upside down and all went black…

A surge of memories ran through his mind. Tenten no longer, fragile and shattered smiled happily in almost every single one of Neji's new memories.

_Laughter at the academy, New Year's Fireworks, a confession on Valentines, __and his first kiss on Christmas, a picnic on a rowing boat… _

Due to the change in Neji made, Tenten's life changed abruptly…

--

"Mars to Neji, calling from home planet, Earth." Tenten waved her hand in front of Neji blinked several times, gathering in his surroundings. He didn't really know where he was, but he knew two things. Tenten was there and she was smiling. And that, was enough for Neji. Neji allowed himself a rare smile and replied.

"The library's a bit quiet."

_It worked! Tenten was all right! She was no longer the sorrowful, broken person that she was in his 'last time'._

"Let's go out for dinner," Neji said suddenly.

Tenten widened her eyes in surprise. "Already? I thought you reserved at spot at seven." Tenten looked at her watch. "It's only four. Neji, what's the rush?"

Neji had to cover this up with something. "Nothing, my rationality was blown away from the beauty of your smile."

Tenten rolled her eyes, but a smiled tugged at the corners of her lips.

The pair decided to walk down the beach. As the waves lapped the shores, Neji felt at peace for the first time in his short life.

"Oh yeah." Tenten said quietly. "Did you know Sasuke is going to be let out on probation?"

Neji's eyes widened slightly. For those who did know him, it might have been a regular movement. However this minute action spoke of volumes of reaction to those who knew him well. It was the expression of surprise. And fear.

Tenten reassured Neji by slipping her hand into his.

"Don't worry, he won't bother us again. Ever. I'm sure he spent a lot of time thinking in jail."

--

The lanterns in the restaurant omitted a tranquil glow. Neji felt peaceful, though there was a niggling fear in his mind.

_Why was Sasuke in jail? What happened through the change of time?_

Tenten looked worriedly at Neji. He was more aloof and spaced out than usual. Was he still worrying over the release of Sasuke? Of course, if it had been anyone in Konoha who committed the same crime as he did, they would be executed. But Sasuke wasn't just any person, he was an Uchiha. The elders, rigid in their biased ways had let the Uchiha off with a five year sentence in jail.

Neji frowned deepened as he heard the sound of approaching footsteps. He whirled around quickly, body tense, ready to block the space between Tenten and the attacker.

It was just the waiter.

Sensing Neji's ominous aura, it was no wonder when he stuttered when he spoke.

"Wwww-would you lll-like anything?"

Neji shook his head, the tension sagging. The waiter bowed and quickly scurried away.

"As expected of the fierce ANBU captain." Tenten teased, "habits die hard, don't they?"

Neji graced Tenten by lifting the corners of his mouth ever so slightly.

"What a couple you two make. The Konoha weapon mistress and the number one ANBU who is rumored to be able to see through Itachi's illusions." a cold sadistic voice sniggered.

Neji turned around and was greeted with an embrace of the fist. The knuckles connected to his jaw, making a small popping sound. Neji feel to the ground. The restaurant hushed instantly. The lanterns illuminated the grotesque contours of the Uchiha's face. The last surviving Uchiha pulled out a katana from his back, where he brought it from was a mystery. As part of the five year sentence, he was not permitted to be close to one. Sasuke raised the sharp blade directly in front of Neji. Sasuke plunged it down, the blade bit into the ground. Sasuke was rusty from jail and Neji had a lot more experience on one-on-one fighting when he became the ANBU captain. Without pausing to think, Neji activated his byakugan, searching for Uchiha's heart. He jammed all his chakra into the Uchiha's heart. Said Uchiha collapsed and breathed his last. Neji stood over his opponent, numb with shock. He, Hyuuga Neji, had killed the last Uchiha.

--

"Hyuuga Neji is hereby sentenced to lifetime imprisonment for murdering Uchiha Sasuke." the elder banged his pallet with a hammer, ordering silence as an uproar started in the crowd. "There is no possibility of parole and he will be sealed from using his chakra ever again."

Neji's world became numb. However, his eyes could only focus on one thing.

Tenten.

Her eyes were brimming with tears. They were about to be separated for eternity.

_Perhaps that was the way it was meant to be._

Hyuuga Neji knew from the moment he felled Sasuke there was no going back. The trial itself was unjust. The elders, enraged at the fact that they had lost Konoha's most powerful bloodline could not think straight. Not that they did normally. Neji often wondered why the Hokage had to obey the elders. Those people were senile and too set in their traditions, failing to see the big picture.

Neji was immediately surrounded by Black ops. They engulfed him. Escape was futile. Besides, where would he run? Neji held his hands out obligingly, behind his back as the chakra handcuff cut him off his chakra for the rest of his life. He was then lead out into the sorting room, where he would find out which cell was going to be his home for life. The prospect of it was dim. The future itself was black…

Neji looked back only once, his eyes full of regret.

--

Neji's cell partner was not a happy one. Well no one in the prison was happy really. Perhaps the best way to describe him was silent. His eyes were like a hawk with tattered wings.

_Once p__roud but now broken_.

Neji had no problem with this. He himself was a man of few words. He was sure, as time progressed he would be known as the man of no words. At night as the lights were switched off and when the stars were the only pinpoints of light, his cellmate spoke one word.

_Nana_

Neji blinked three times abruptly. His voice as dry as sawdust, unused to many hours, he spoke.

"Who is Nana."

The man did not reply for an age, making Neji believe that he was either deaf or crazy. Only when he heard a flutter did he look up.

The man cradled a photograph with the utmost care. It was a picture of his family. Or what might have been his family. Neji thought.

"Nana, is my beloved wife. There." The man's finger brushed past the young woman's face lovingly. "And there, is my little girl. Yuki. She was four when I was put into prison."

Neji nodded slowly, unsure of what to say.

The man continued, he didn't seem to care about whether Neji was listening or not. All he wanted to was to talk and hopefully relive his memories. In his world, he could see his wife and his daughter everyday. If he did not think or talk about them, bit by bit, they would fade away.

"We were financially distressed. The enemy took advantage of this you see… They ambushed me in a nearby bar and told me to sell weapons to them. They knew I ran a weapons shop." the man sighed as he relived the memories. "I was desperate, desperate to do anything to make Nana smile again, to wipe those lines of worries from her face. So I took their offer, even though I knew it was wrong and that I was going to be caught. I thought it was worth it at that time."

The moonlight shone through the barred window illuminating down on the man. With a closer look, the man was not as old as Neji originally thought he would be. He was young, far too young to spend his life sitting in this hole.

"The ANBU caught me, while I saw trading the final lot of weapons near the bridge, they charged me for committing treason and for indirectly killing three of the academy members. Apparently the dealers sold my weapons to someone else, who set a trap in which resulted in mulitple casulities in Konoha. I didn't know." the man cried into his hands. "All I wanted was to see the smiles of my family members again. Now I will never see them again." Neji's cellmate lifted his head. "My wife divorced me and took our child back to the countryside. She said that she would hide the fact that I was her father forever." he looked over to Neji. "That's my story." he added before resuming his trade-mark silence.

Neji cleared his throat wondering whether he should share with him his memories.

_No, he would probably think I'm crazy. But does that even matter? No. _

Neji parted his lips and began to speak…

"So in the end you and I are the same." the man finished for him. "All we did was for the smiles of our beloved."

"Yes," Neji said hesitantly. Neji wondered how much of his story the man believed. If someone told him that he was time travelling he would believe they've gone loony.

Perhaps he did.

"You are allowed to choose and item to keep with you. What will you choose? A photo of your beloved or that diary you talked about?"

_Will you try to change the past again?_

"The diary, I'm not done with the past yet."

--

Neji received his black notebook. He beckoned his cellmate over.

"Watch over me and make sure no one tries to do anything, particularly when I uh, black out."

Neji's cell mate nodded sceptically.

"Before I leave. What's your name?"

"What is this about leaving?" a loud voice blared through, interrupting their conversation. "Oh it's you," a burly man said, walking over. "You are the one who killed that bastard." the man spat on the ground, "I was supposed to kill him."

The burly man was attracting quite a crowd. Prisoners gathered around forming a circle. Supporters of the burly man chanted, urging the pair to fight.

"What's with that look on your face?" the burly man said, attempting to provoke Neji.

His efforts were in vain. Nothing showed through Neji's poker face.

Unable to cope with this unexpected reaction the burly man threw a punch at Neji.

"Cover me!" Neji yelled to his cell-mate. Obligingly, his cellmate pressed against his back. Neji opened a random page on his book, dodging the punches that aimed at him.

_Today I got in trouble for a picture I didn't draw._ Neji read aloud. That was all was needed. He prepared himself for the black-out. His eyes rolled to the back of his head and he crumpled onto the floor.

--

Neji was in the academy again. He was young again. In front of Neji saw a blank piece of paper and a set of colour pencils. Everything clicked into place. He knew that many years ago, or in his time, a few moments ago he had saw Tenten scribble frantically at what her dream was. Neji took a marker and hastily began drawing. He drew what he wanted the most. The burly man and all his prisoners in a bloody mess. He took all his memories of ANBU missions and added them into his picture. The end result was horrific. Neji smiled evilly. Perfect. Neji handed the picture to Iruka-sensei. His face was the object of horror. Neji looked at Tenten for one last lingering glance before grabbing a kunai from Iruka's pocket and ramming himself into a wall, knocking himself out.

--

Neji awoke facing his opponents.

"Welcome back," his inmate said.

Neji noticed that in his left hand was a kunai. "Let's end this," he said.

Within moments, it was all over. Neji lifted his bloodstain hands and wondered whether there would be any point in trying to conceal the fact that he was responsible for the massacre. No, there wasn't.

"I have to go back. Change what happened."

Neji's cellmate nodded. "Please, look for me and stop me from dealing with those traders. Go to my house. And ask for me. Call me by my true name. Everyone calls me Palo, but my true name is Ohno. Call me by that name and I shall believe you, tell me to not deal with them."

"With this, Ohno. I consider our debt paid." Neji said.

_Today; for the first time in my life, I was told off by Iruka-sensei. It was the stupid Uchiha's fault. I got all the blame, cause 'Sasuke was going through a rough time'. Though it's supposed to be a secret; everyone knows what happened. You'd have to be hiding under a rock to not notice. Sasuke and his big brother, Itachi are the only Uchihas left. Apparently he murdered his whole clan. I expect Sasuke to feel sorry for himself. He doesn't know how lucky he is. To at least have felt what a mother's warm hug was like and to train with your father. Better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all. Do you know what the worst thing is?_

_Today's my ninth birthday; and the only one who congratulated me was Tenten._

--

When Neji came to, he was 11 again. Neji was circling Sasuke, Neji knew how this would turn out. Sasuke would tackle him and it would begin their long journey of hatred. Neji vowed to remedy this. If Sasuke had not hated Neji then he would not have attacked him in the restaurant. Thus, Neji would not have killed him. Neji sank to his knees bowing deeply.

"Sorry for trying to fight with you. Of course I will withdraw knowing for certainty that I would loose."

The tight circle was silent. Even Sasuke himself was shocked.

Neji had a way with words and knew how to play it so that he could be left off. "What ever was I thinking? Fighting against an Uchiha? That would be dishonouring my clan. It is the Hyuuga's duty to keep peace in Konoha. Not to destroy it."

Sasuke was sceptically, he tried to read it from all directions to see if there was a second mocking meaning laced between his words. But Hyuuga Neji was calm, too calm. It unnerved Sasuke. To make sure Neji was not making a mockery of him. He played his last card.

"If you are truly resentful, lick my shoes." he smirked.

Neji leaned forward prepared to do so.

"Stop," a voice said in the crowd. A pathway emerged and Lee stood behind the kneeling Neji, glaring fiercely at the Uchiha. "You've gone too far this time, Uchiha. For you to not accept an apology makes you lower than scum." Lee's bushy eyebrows furrowed together. "Neji, this is for you." he added before aiming a well executed spinning kick into the Uchiha's face.

And so it was from then on. The surprise turn of events made it so that Uchiha and Lee not, Hyuuga, were sworn enemies.

Neji had a debt to repay, so he made his way to the Hokage's office. Neji's byakugan had the range of 50m, it was more than sufficient to read what was in the files in the ANBU stack. There were many guards outside the room but no one had thought that a Hyuuga would break the law so they never bothered to prevent the Byakugan from entering the room.

He scanned through the stacks, looking for Palo's name. There it was. Apparently the ANBU knew that Palo was going to trade at the bridge. They were to meet at noon. Neji looked over at the town clock and it read half an hour before noon. Deactivating his byakugan, he sprinted over to the bridge.

A young man stood in front of the bridge, waiting impatiently. Beside his feet was a large metal box. Neji recognized him as Palo. He rushed over to the man, breathless.

"Are you Palo?" he said between gasps.

"Yes." The man said, looking around.

"Don't do it. Stop dealing those weapons. You'll get caught today."

The man jumped back away, surprised. "H-how did you know?"

"I have my ways," Neji said smoothly. "Please, don't deal weapons with the enemy countries anymore. You just want your wife and child to smile right? This will not bring happiness to your family."

Palo backed away. "You're crazy. How did you know these things-. You're a stalker aren't you?"

Neji looked at the clock tower, there wasn't much time left. "This is completely serious, so I shall call you by your true name. Ohno, due to circumstances I know that you are kept under surveillance by the ANBU. They plan to arrest you in act while you're dealing. Please do not deal anymore weapons. Trust me."

Palo nodded slowly. "If you call me by my true name then… Okay I shall agree. I shall not deal any weapons anymore."

"Good," Neji nodded, "now let's get out of here!"

Palo and Neji jumped to the rooftops. There, they could see everything that was going on near the bridge. Half a minute later, a squad of ANBU donned in feline came and searched the area.

"We must have been given false information." the cat mask spoke.

"No, look over their, the ANBU pointed to a man in a dark shaped cloak."

"Capture him." the squadron leader commanded.

The cloak man showed no resistance. He merely put his hands up muttering that he had been double-crossed. When his cloak was taken of, he wore a mist hitai, and his body was covered in many strange markings.

"That's the man that I was going to deal with," Palo said with amazement.

"Yes."

"And I had been trading with him I would have been caught…" Palo bowed down deeply to Neji. "I fully believe you know. I shall vow under the sun. As long as I live, I will not trade weapons."

Neji put his hand on Palo's shoulder, "You may rise. You do not owe me anything. I was the one indebt. I merely paid the price."

And with that, Neji disappeared off into the busy streets of Konoha.

--

Neji still had quite a few things to change. He had to prevent Sasuke from blowing up his three academy class mates. Or he would have to go to Suna and would never be able to see Tenten ever again.

Neji observed the Uchiha's movements through the next couple of weeks, listening to his whereabouts and always, always, watching. Soon enough he heard where he got the supplies from. The news made him reel over in shock.

Tenten's dad was supplying the Uchiha with explosive notes. Neji decided that he needed to visit Tenten's father again…

Neji rang the doorbell of Tenten's house. When Tenten's father opened the door his eyes opened with surprise and another emotion.

_Was it fear?_

"What do you want?" hissed Tenten's father.

"Nothing," Neji said casually. "Just checking up on you, didn't I tell you I'd be watching you?"

Tenten's father shrunk back ever so slightly. "Don't just stand out here, come in."

Neji closed the door with a loud bang. "Is Tenten here?"

"No, she's a weapon's training. Why are you here?"

"As I told you. Checking up on you. Have you done anything to her?" Neji's eyes blazed at the mere thought of it.

"No I haven't. I keep my hands off my girl…"

"Good. Now what is this trading with the Uchiha?"

"What are you talking about? I know nothing."

Neji stepped in closer. "Really now? So I search the house I won't find a wooden box full of explosive notes?"

"And what if you do?" Tenten's dad said mockingly. "There's nothing illegal about selling explosive notes. Is there?" sensing Neji's hesitation, his suspicions were confirmed. "Abusing your child is illegal. That's why I stopped it. But selling explosives? There's nothing wrong about that. Don't do your head in little boy, ordering adults around like that. It happened once but won't happen again."

Neji fumed inside. He was right. No one would believe him if he said that he was from the future and that Sasuke blew up three academy students. Neji thought about other options. There was always the option of detaining Sasuke. But he knew that would only lead to one consequence later on in the years. He would have to end up killing him. So that option was not viable.

"If you really must know, I keep this big box of explosives down the basement. It's been there ever since Tenten was born, so it's a big pile of explosives. But there's no way I'm letting you in there.. The only way is to open the door with the key. A key which you don't have. A few years back then you could have just waltzed into here and stole the box. But then you didn't know if its existence." Tenten's father smirked in laughter. "This time you can't do anything."

Neji turned his back away from Tenten's father. "I'll do it. If I want it to happen then it shall happen. Anything for her smile." he said.

Tenten's father laughed cruelly. "You can't change the past, Neji."

_Oh little did he know._

--

Neji knew what must be done. He was going back.

Neji grabbed the black notebook that he knew would be under his bed and read aloud to himself.

_Today, I will go to Tenten's house for dinner, and I shall mete her father. I wonder what a reel father is like…._

Somewhere high in the air, Neji watched himself faint. Then all was black…

--

As soon as Neji touched the doorbell Tenten came running down; her face flushed.

"We've been expecting you!" she chimed.

"Tenten, is your friend finally here?" a deep voice shouted from inside the house. "If it's him, then hurry up and get the spaghetti from the oven!"

Tenten grinned, "We're having spaghetti for dinner tonight," she licked her lips in anticipation. "My favourite!"

Neji awkward took off his shoes. "Hurry up!" Tenten pulled him by the arm. "I'm hungry!"

Neji considered removing her arm, but then it felt nice there. Perhaps it's a syndrome of the cooties, he thought to himself.

--

"It's ready, it's ready." Tenten chimed as she balanced three plates of spaghetti on her small arms.

"Let me help," Neji offered remembering his manners.

"Nope, I'll be. Oh."

The plate balancing on Tenten's right hand fell onto the ground with a loud crash.

Tenten's father came through the kitchen with a look of fury in his eyes.

Neji tried to speak, but he could not talk, he was gasping for breath as he tried to wiggle his toes.

Tenten's dad raised his open hand and with a swift arc, it connected on the side of Tenten's head knocking her over. The remaining plates of spaghetti toppled over and crashed onto the floor. Tenten crumpled to the floor.

Neji stared at her father horrified. He clenched his fists, when he did so; he realised he could move his body. He grabbed the knife from the dining table and walked towards him.

Tenten's father had expected the young boy to be nervous; but there seemed to be no sign of trembling. All that was on his immature young face was the look of pure fury.

"What you are doing right now, in the end you're just traumatizing your own flesh and blood. So stop it."

It was now Tenten's father's turn to be terrified, the change in the boy was evident. From the way he walked to his sophisticated syntax that surpassed the boy's age.

"I'll be watching you; even if you think I am not there. Lay a finger on her again, and I will not be afraid of doing something unorthodox." Neji waved his knife for measure, "Got that?

"Yess," Tenten's father said, still stunned.

"Good."

Tenten began to stir.

"Damn it." Neji thought, "she's waking up already. I still haven't went to the basement yet…" There was no choice but to carry out his plan.

Neji ran towards the basement with the knife. All he had to do was slash the symbol on the top of each explosive. This rendered them unusable. He ran with the knife.

"Neji! Where are you going?! Why are you holding a knife! Come back here, I'm sorry about the spaghetti…."

Neji spun around ready to tell Tenten to stay back. Too late, she was running towards him. Though Neji's mind had sharper reflexes due to his jonin experiences, his premature body couldn't react fast enough! The knife which he was holding flat out bit into Tenten's flesh. Suddenly blood was gushing out.

"That's dangerous," Tenten said her eyes wide with pain and disbelief. She writhed on the ground before laying still.

"NOOOOOOO!!!!" Neji screamed. His hands rushing to cradle Tenten's head.

"GET AWAY FROM HER!" Tenten's dad raged.

Within a few days, Neji was thrown into juvenile court.

Hiashi, not wanted to stain the clan's reputation said that his nephew's head was never right after his father's death. He also claimed that his insanity was hereditary. Hizashi was similar.

Neji was then put into a mental asylum.

Everyday he received treatment, from spotting the differences to complicated scans to his brain. The doctors found nothing. Eventually even the head of the medical department, Tsunade was concerned.

Tsunade appointed a session with Neji to try find out what was wrong. There was one thing wrong. It was the same request that came from Neji.

He asked for diaries that did not exist.

When Tsunade read her patient record she was surprised to find out that his father, Hizashi, asked for photographs insistently. She wondered if there was any correlation.

Perhaps their insanity was hereditary.

Neji walked in, his eyes tired as though he didn't have enough sleep.

"You look tired." Tsunade said out loud.

"I am tired." Neji said. "One of the patients were screaming and I didn't get any sleep."

"You know your dad was the same, he had black outs. But he kept asking for pictures. Not a diary. According to this information, he often said that 'pictures worked too'. I wonder what that meant?" Tsunade said observing Neji closely. His boyish face went slightly darker.

"What did that mean?" Tsunade pressed on.

"He was the same as me." Neji's lips were in thin lines. "Blessed with a curse you would say."

Tsunade nodded and recorded what he said.

"May I have some pictures? I miss my friends… And Tenten…" Neji's eyes were downcast.

Tsunade's heart softened. "Sure, I'll ask around for some and give them to you next time I see you."

"Thank you." Neji said softly.

As Tsunade left the room she could have sworn she heard.

_So pictures work too huh…_

--

Hinata was surprised when she heard that Neji wanted photographs, nevertheless she obliged. Tsunade took it to her room to inspect. Out of the corner of her eyes she saw Neji stare out of the window…

Neji could not wait until next week. Too many things may have changed. He needed to get those pictures as soon as possible. He formulized a plan. Yes. It would work…

--

"Tsunade-sama. Hyuuga Neji has escaped the facility. Should we put an APB on him?"

Tsunade groaned. "For Kami's sake. He's a six year old boy."

"A six year old boy who murdered his classmate. We don't know what he's capable of. Plus he's a genius. Don't estimate little children."

"How did he escape?" Tsunade said.

"He took a fire extinguisher out and opened it. The force broke one of the windows. We presumed he jumped out."

Tsunade rushed to the facility, "Is there anything else we should know?"

"Apart from the fact that we haven't found him yet?"

Tsunade shook her head as she ran into the facility.

"This is where he escaped." the officer said pointing to the large whole in the window.

"Wait." Tsunade said, rubbing her temples. "There's something strange going on. This is the farderest point from where he lives. Why would he risk going all the way here to escape? Wouldn't it be more safer to break the window near his complex? And Neji knows that you can't escape from this place. It's completely surrounded."

The officer shrugged, "sometimes desperation makes you do the unthinkable."

That was when it hit Tsunade. "To my office! He's there with the scrolls."

--

Neji ran into the room and locked the titanium enforced door behind him. His trick would only buy his a little bit of time. Tsunade would figure out what he was trying to do.

Neji grabbed a pen nearby, cleared a space on the messy desk and began writing on the back of an important looking document.

_If anyone finds this; then it didn't work out like how I wished it to be._

Neji chuckled as he realised he was writing my own epitaph.

Hastily, Neji opened the patient information cabinet; thumb running through the tombstones till he came across his own name. There.

_Hyuuga Neji_

Neji pulled out the files, not caring when he spilt it's neighbours out. He ripped open the folder; he had to do this quickly, the security guards were already trying to ram the door open.

Lucky for him the door was made out of reinforced titanium steel.

Neji emptied the contents across the desk. There were no photos in sight. He then realised that there were scrolls. They were the ones that Lee had sent him to inform him of Tenten's suicide. Neji grabbed the scrolls, this was what he had risked everything for. Neji jammed all his minute chakra into it (he was still six), and pictures of his younger self began to move and Neji began to relive…

--

Hyuuga Neji; aged four and a half; entered kindergarten for the first time. There was a flurry of excitement, a new playmate! Boys shouted at him to join them on the playground while the girls looked at him in disgust, he was, after all, a carrier of the infamous boy cooties!

Only a girl that reminded him of a panda smiled at him.

_This would be the part where I smiled at her. I must change that. _

Neiji had already thought about what to do. He remembered what Tenten had said to him before he started all of this.

"_So why didn't you move to Mist with your mother? She'd take you right?"_

_Tenten shook her head remorsefully, "No, we're practically not a family anymore. She left when I was five, she has her own family there, and it wouldn't be right to intrude. She said I should have followed her when we were kids…. But whatever."_

In his heart Neji had knew why she didn't move. It was because of this reason, Neji keep trying to bring her smile. It was because back then, even when they were only five, Tenten loved Neji.

And Neji loved her too.

He was going to change all that.

Neji walked over to Tenten with a ferocious scowl on his face that he knew he excelled in. It was the face that kept rabid fan girls away after all.

"Who gave you permission to look at me?" Neji said in the most arrogant voice he could muster.

Tenten frowned at him. "I didn't look at you."

"Well good. I don't want you to ever come near me. Don't talk to me and don't even look at me. Got that?" he glared for an extra effect.

Tenten put her nose up high in the air and turned away. "Whatever."

So from then, Neji did not talk to Tenten.

A year later Tenten moved to mist…

* * *

**TBC... Epilogue will be up soon. Review! -Begs shamelessly- By the way... Do you want a sad or happy ending? Tell me in PM/Review me!  
**


	3. Chapter 3

**Okay final chapter up. What to say… Hmmm thank you for reading. This story had amazingly long chapters. 0.o**

**Dedication to 'midnight harvest moon' and 'yukimi-sama'! I really appreciate your reviews, they made me so happy and it makes me feel like I can fly. .**

**If you have any suggestions on how to make my summaries better, you're more than welcome to PM or review me about it!

* * *

**Neji lived peacefully and successfully in Konoha. Being the prodigy that he was, he graduated early and prospered in all he did. By 15, Neji was a jonin, he was the shining star and all academy students aimed to be like him. Naturally, there were a lot of fan girls. More than Uchiha Sasuke, who even after betraying his village made village girls' hearts throb. Neji was not interested in love, for he had one girl in his mind constantly, but was not remembered by any of his peers. It was as if she ceased to exist. Everyday he would find time to stare out into his window wondering if he had protected Tenten's smile. What was she like now?

--

The relations between the Mist and Leaf were getting tenser as the days went by. The prospect of war was imminent… And then it was finally declared, the Mist greeted the Leaf Village with a butterfly trap between the 'treaty borders'… The trap ensnared six unsuspecting Jonins. Only one lived long enough to claim that a demon had constructed a trap around them. Coincidentally the casualties were the academy students who fell into Neji's first constructed butterfly trap.

It seemed as if fate could not be changed.

Neji was on his first mission as the head of ANBU, failure was unacceptable for the current Hokage, Tsunade. Neji was sent on a reconnaissance mission with the top ninjas of the village. They were to travel to Mist to find out why they were launching a war against the Leaf. Perhaps they were blackmailed or had joined Sound, Leaf's number one enemy.

Donning his cloak, Neji and his two companions departed from the village before sunset. No a single village member came to say good-bye.

--

They journeyed for days until they came across the treaty border. All eyes were alert. Neji's especially. He activated his byakugan and scanned his surroundings. It seemed that there was someone trailing them.

_Foolish. _

There was nothing Neji could do. Tsunade had specifically instructed for them to not engage in battle unless absolutely necessary. The butterfly trap may have been a misunderstanding, and if it wasn't, then it was better for Mist to declare a war on them. That way, neighboring villages that had an alliance with both Mist and Leaf would side with Leaf as the other village was the antagonist.

Neji alerted his companions.

After a thorough discussion, the group decided that Neji was to flare his chakra to warn the spy that he was not unnoticed. Neji focused all his chakra onto his palm and pushed as hard as he could. A vein bulged in his neck. The air itself shook, pulsating, in sync with Neji's heartbeat. Trees bowed down in fear and the forest was silent. Neji relaxed and scanned his surroundings. The spy seemed to have run away. Neji smiled in contentment. Dispute was avoided. Though he was an ANBU captain, he was benevolent man and disliked excessive fighting. He willed with all his might that there wasn't a war against Mist. He knew he could not choose between his village or her...

Neji's squad continued walking when suddenly his female companion, the medic, swore as she tripped over something. Instantly Neji activated his byakugan.

"No one move an inch." he ordered, breathless. He could not believe his eyes, it was as the survivor of the "Butterfly trap incident" had said.

_A demon wove the __trap around us._

They were encaged, the trap was massive and intricate, and just one wrong movement would cause the whole trap to fall on them. There was no escape. Neji willed himself to keep calm. How did the perpetrator construct the trap around them? Neji squinted hard into his byakugan and finally he found what he was looking for.

That was when his suspicions were confirmed, whoever constructed the trap was a demon. On the end of each string was a kunai embedded in a tree. The demon who constructed the trap 'built' the trap around his team by jumping up high above the forest, and in the time that he was in the air, sent out thousands of kunais specifically aimed at each individual tree. The wires were effectively put in place, the butterfly trap was completed within seconds. And as it did not require excessive chakra, Neji let the whole incident slip right under his nose.

_What kind of person could do this sort of thing?_

"Okay," Neji said in his most calm voice, he explained the situation slowly and deliberately.

A cold voice laughed and clapped. "Well done for getting this far, Leaf. As expected from the ANBU team. But playtime's over. Let me introduce myself, I am Mist's number one weapon mistress."

Neji's turned his head, and a lithe figure stood in front of him.

Neji's blood ran cold. At the recognition of the woman standing in front of him and at the fact that he felt a tiny wire cut his cheek. Blood trickled down his cheek...

_History is all of what is remembered of the past. We remember it by perserving it in writing.  
_

_However, in reality; history is the choices we make. One slight change could alter the whole outcome of your future, that, is the butterfly effect._

**THE END.**

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**How did you like the ending? Was there anything that didn't fit in nicely? Want an alternate ending? Want a sequel or something? REVIEW!!!  
**


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